Unemployment rate inches up

Minnesota’s unemployment rate ticked up slightly last month, ending a 14-month streak of job growth.  The unemployment rate in December was 2.5 percent, up from 2.3 percent in November.  DEED (Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic) Commissioner Steve Grove says the private sector gained 900 jobs in the month, but there was a loss of 6,100 jobs in the government sector:

“It’s not unheard of to lose so many jobs in government in one month but it did definitely catch our eye because of course the private sector gain gained jobs so it’s kind of a mixed story there we’re still unpacking that I will say it was almost entirely in local government is where we saw those losses happening.”

The labor force participation rate remained steady at 67.9 percent with nearly 3,400 people entering the labor force.